Circular loom



arch 9, 1954 R. N. LOW ET AL CIRCULAR LOOM Filed June 20, 1952 I Inventors A florneys Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UNITED PATENT OFFICE CIRCULAR LOOM company Application June 20, 1952, Serial No. 294,533

Claims priority, application Great Britain June 29, 1951 '7 Claims.

This invention relates to shedding mechanisms for circular looms and has for its object to provide improved means for actuating the healds whereby the healds or group of healds may not only be controlled individually but the whole of I the healds may be caused to move towards one of their extreme positions, so that the warp threads uncover the shuttles, when required.

According to the invention, each heald or group of healds in the shedding mechanism of a circular loom is connected with a pair of hooks in such manner that the movement of the one hook causes the heald or group of healds to move towards one extreme position whilst movement of the other causes the heald or group of healds to move towards the other extreme position, said hooks bein adapted to be engaged at will and actuated by a knife adapted to be reciprocated in conformity with the movement of the shuttles, mean being provided for determining which of said hooks shall be engageable by said knife at any instant.

One form of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a partially diagrammatic elevation. As shown in the drawings a slidable rod 8 which carries a heald l l is formed with a longitudinally extending toothed rack which is engaged by a toothed quadrant 1 carried by a sprocket wheel 6 over which extends a chain bearing a hook 3 and 4 on each of its dependent ends, the points of the two hooks being towards each other and the arrangement being such that a downward movement of hook 4 will cause an upward movement of the heald ll whilst the downward movement of hook 3 will cause a downward movement of the heald H.

Intermediately of the two hooks 3 and 4 and in their common vertical plane extends a vertical spindle 2 mounted so as to be slidable longitudinally under the combined actions of an upwardly acting spring [2 and an annular face cam l in engagement with roller or bowl l3 mounted on said rod 2. The annular face cam I is arranged coaxially of the loom and rotates at the same speed a the shuttles.

The vertically slidable spindle 2 carries on its upper end a double edged knife 14, the ends of which are capable of engaging with the two hooks 3 and 4 alternatively.

The stems of the two hooks 3 and 4 extend slidably through holes in a horizontally slidable plate or bar l5 whereby they are held spaced apart by a distance slightly greater than the distance between the two ends of the knife l4. The slide by a spring Ill and is adapted to be moved in the other direction against said influence, by means of an electro-magnet or solenoid 9 or, if desired, by a pneumatic or mechanical device. The arrangement is such that movement of the slide plate I5 causes the hooks 3 and 4 to be moved the one into, and the other out of, the path of its respective knife-end, the preferred arrangement being that the spring I0 tends to move into the path of its knife-end the hook 3, the descent of which will cause the descent of the warp threads.

Durin normal operation of the loom, the knifecarrying, vertically slidable, spindle 2 is caused by the annular cam I to reciprocate in conformity with the movement of the shuttles and, during its downward movements, its knife ends will en gage Whichever of the hooks has been moved into its path. If no change has been made in the lateral position of the hooks, the knife-carrying spindle 2 will move idly.

By suitably arranging the sequence of movements of the pair of hooks 3 and 4 in relation to the movements of the knife-carrying spindles 2, the pattern of the cloth woven by the loom may be varied. If all the horizontally slidable plates 15 controlling the lateral positions of the hooks 3 and 4 are released to the action of their controlling springs H] the whole of the warp threads are dropped to expose the shuttles, this latter action being particularly easy in the case of electromagnetic operation because the dropping of the warp threads may be effected by merely breaking the electrical circuit.

We claim:

1. Shedding mechanism for a circular loom, comprisin a heald adapted to be moved into two extreme positions, a rotary member, a pair of hooks connected to said rotary member on opposite sides of its axis, means operative by rotation of said rotary member to cause reciprocatory movement of the heald, a hook-operating member engageable with either of said hooks to transmit movement thereto, and means for causing one or the other of said hooks to engage said hookoperating member.

2. Shedding mechanism for a circular loom, comprising a heald adapted to be moved into two extreme positions, a rotary member, a pair of books connected to said rotary member on opposite sides of its axis, means operative by rotation of said rotary member to cause reciprocatory movement of the heald, a reciprocating knife engageable with either of said hooks to transmit movement thereto, and means for causing one or the other of said hooks to engage said reciprocating knife.

3. shedding mechanism as defined in claim 2,

including at least one electrical solenoid adapted to control the sequence of engagements between said hooks and saidreciprocating knife.

4. Shedding mechanism for a'circular loom, comprising a heald adapted to be moved into two extreme positions, a rotary member, a pair of hooks connected to said rotary member on pposite sides of its axis, an extension on theiheald having a toothed surface thereon, an arcuate toothed surface on said rotary-'member engaging said toothed surface on saidextenSionwherby rotation of said rotary member'causes'reciprocatory movement of the heald, a hook-operating member engageable with either-iof saidihooksito transmit movement thereto, and means foncausing one or the other of said hooks'to engage said hook-operating member.

5. Shedding mechanism for a circular doom, comprising a heald adapted to be moved into two extreme positions, :a "rotary member,:a :pair'of hooks connected to said rotary member on opposite'sidestof its axis, an extension on the: heald, a toothed surf aceonsaid extension, an :arcuate .teothed surface on said-rotary member engaging said toothed surface on.said extension .wher-eby rotation of said rotary member causes reciprocatory; movement of the-heald, a reciprocating knife engageable with either of said hooks to transmit movement thereto,-and*means-for causing onesor theother of said hooks'torengage said reciprooatory'knife.

6. Shedding mechanism for a circular loom, comprisinga .healdradapted to be-moved into'two extreme .positions, a rotary member, -.a ;pair A of books connectedto said rotarymember on'oppositesidesof its axis means operative by rotation of said rotary member to cause reciprocatory movement of the heald, a reciprocating knife engageable with either of. said .hooks .to -,.transmit ."movementithereto, means "for'causingrone or the other of said hooks to engage said reciprocating "knife, an annular cam arranged coaxially of the loom, means for transmitting motion from said earmular cam to said reciprocating knife, and means for causing one or the other of said hooks to engage'said reciprocating knife.

7.Shedding:mechanism for a circular loom,

compi'i'singaihealdadapted to be moved into two extreme positions, a rotary member, a pair of Q'hOOKS COIIHEGtGdLtO said rotary member on opposite sides of. its. axis, an extension on the heald, .a,..to'othe'dsurface on said extension, an arcuate toothed surface on said rotary member engaging said' toothed surface on said extension whereby rotation of said rotary: member causes recipro :catoryrmovement or the beam; a :reciprocating knife engageable with either 1 of t-said FhOOkS v.to transmit xmovement thereto, can annular cam arranged coaxially of the loom, means -:whereby said: annular cam transmits motion to vsaidreciprocating knife, and.'mean.s for causing'oneor theother of said hooks to engage saidreciprocating knife.

ROBERT NORRIE LOW.

JEAN-.CATRY,

Name Date Hougetet a1 Mar. 17 ,1914

Number 

